My african american brothers and sisters use the word blessed much more than I do. One of the pitchers on the UAM baseball team always asked me, “are you havin’ a blessed day, Rev?” I looked blessed up this morning and Webster says that blessed means “holy; sacred, blissful, beatified, bringing comfort or joy.”

Beatified. What does that mean? I looked it up. It means “to be made to become beautiful.” So, let’s answer the question posed by the pitcher. Are you having or are you going to have a blessed day?

Will you allow God to set you aside today and make you holy and sacred? Will you keep yourself from the sin that so easily snares us and allow God to weave His presence into your everyday affairs? “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1.1,2 niv)

Will you be blissful today? Will you be drawn into deep happiness and spiritual joy? “Happy is the people … whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 144.15 kjv) “Happy is he that hath the God of Jaocb for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” (Psalm 146.5 kjv) “He who dispises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is kind to the needy.” (Pr. 14.21 niv)

Will you be beatified today? Will you be made beautiful by the Great Creator? Will you allow Him to shape your image into something that will draw glory to His name and His renown? “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

Will you bless others? Will you bring comfort and joy to those around you? “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who askes you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6.27-36)

Have a blessed day.